Saturday, December 08, 2012

A Ride to Elephant Sanctuary @ Kuala Gandah, Pahang

This tour has been flashing regularly in the facebook and somehow I was attracted by it and decided that I must go for it. The ride took about 33km from Mempaga 1 to an elephant sanctuary @ Kuala Gandah and multiple by 2 for the return journey making atotal distance of 66km ride for the day.

As usual before any ride starts a briefing is a must. We gathered at a sport complex at Mempaga 1 and the number of participants was very encouraging including several super young boys and girls.

The weather was superb even though every one was worry about it as the weather forecast was unfavourable for the day at this location.

There were many climbs in this ride and some of them were very nasty especially those nearer to the sanctuary.

A typical road that we rode in the vicinity of Felda plantation and its surroundings was something like this straight and undulating road. Just image riding on a dinosaur back. Rolling down is always nice the speed could be 40 over km/hr but going up hill is tough it was an inch by inch matter as we pedal sometime I dare not look up at the slope.

Somewhere at Kg. Bolok Hilir I detoured into a site to see an old mosque which was built in 1300's and this mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Pahang.

Finally some of us arrived at the desired destination, the home of the orphanage for elephants @ Kuala Gandah.

There are several eating stalls at the entrance of the sanctuary but I was disappointed that not all of them were opened, only one was opened and business was too good for the operator to handle, foods were finished fast and leaving limited choices for our meals.

Places like this and other kinds of exhibition are found in this sanctuary and a good educational tour for the young ones.

Though the sanctuary is not big but it is well maintained, beautiful and attractive.

The crowd was building up with bus loads of visitors invading the place. It was a school holiday season and indeed a good place to visit.

My happiest moment was when I saw a herd of elephants emerging from the fringe of the sanctuary and coming towards us.

Approaching closer and closer and I was getting excited over it. These animals are really big.

These cute baby elephants were waiting for people to buy them sugar canes.

Don't take it away from me so fast....the camera is not ready yet ...Haathi mere saathi.... baby elephants my friends..

A bundle of sugar canes for RM3.00 and the elephants love it.

A spot at the centre of the sanctuary.

A place where the elephants take their bath and have fun with the visitors but we had no chance to witness this.

The entrance to the park where you get to see the elephants.

On our way back we unanimously agreed that we must hunt for a durian stall and have one or two before we complete our adventure. We found it, had fun and another 10km to complete the ride.

The last couple of kilometres seems to be very difficult, the weather was getting hotter and my leg muscles were getting tire but never the less we finished it..... a rest under a shade and putting lots of fluid into the body which I need it badly...

I like the elephants and so many of them.

I must thank this man by the name of Dave Ern (centre) for making this event possible and marking a journey and an experience for me that I really treasure it.